If this feature is implemented as a cloud service, i.e. each URL will be checked by Google before the browser is executing it then say good-bye privacy. It would be the last thing that you would like to have: a browser that spies on you.

If this feature is implemented with a signature file that is updated from time to time, then it is the same snake-oil as each anti-virus and is probably not harmful. It might even be useful for those people who also have use for anti-virus software.

Reason #2 "problems with EU privacy laws" is actually quite real. While the law itself is toothless (regarding the possible sanctions), it would disturb me as an IT manager or sales manager to just use a great service like Salesforce.com and to have migrated all my data there and trained mys stuff - just to learn that I was convicted to adhere to privacy laws in the EU and that any US based company cannot comply (because of US laws) and are now obliged to change everything. Too much of a hassle; I would simply directly go with a non-US service or run the software by my own.

Reason #1 "competitive information to US companies". This is a thread, but probably only to companies that are from interest to the US. If EADS or SAP would use Google mail, they would be truly insane. Same for some small companies in the very hightech market (e.g. for sensors, advanced software, etc.).

In any case: Two issues that weight enough to not use US based services aka cloud services if you are running a European company.

BTW: This has been known for a while and since the Patriot Act is in effect no European firm should have made other assumptions. Nevertheless, seems that we needed Snowden to remind us.

The system should be modified to be round based rather than real-time. 10 seconds per round is long enough that all traders can have equal access regardless of how far they are from the stock exchange, and it is short enough that it won't be a hindrance to long-term investors. A round could spend a couple of seconds executing the trades, then publish the results, add another couple of seconds for communication, and traders will still have six seconds for calculations before the deadline for the next trading round.

This! Best idea I have seen so far - is it yours or has it been researched in more detail and been published somewhere?

How it works for me for example is I log on the online banking site, authenticate with extra-long user-id (which in itself acts as a password), a pin I've memorized, and check a number from a key-list just to log on. If I try to transfer money, they will send an SMS to my phone telling to enter n:th number on my keylist on the online banking site.

This is indeed secure - but a static predistributed key-list is a major pain. You always need to have access to it, before you can do anything. So, you can do Internet banking, but only from home (or where you store your key-list).

No, good news would be that Google has completely disregarded any communications. The fact that the word "many" was used rather than "all" means that it is in fact quite bad news.

No, good news would be that Google (and probably all other search engine, who do not show the DCMA requests) had completely followed all requests. There is no better way to show how stupid this whole DCMA business is.

At the very least you should understand the concepts of exponential growth and decay.

Fully agreed! But unfortunately, I think that only 1% (pure speculation, could be also 5% or - more likely - 0.1%) of our population understand those concepts (i.e. are able to see that those concepts are at work even if the question was not mathematically formulated for them). If we now just would get 1% more students leaving the school understanding those concepts every year...

Spain is also a fucked up mess. They've spent decades feathering their public services nest and now they're busted. They will spend generations wallowing in servitude to their creditors while public services get cut and cut again.

Spain is a fucked up mess, because of the same reasons the USA is a fucked up mess: A house building bubble. Spanish people got obscene credits (longer than 50 years sometimes) for financing their homes. Most people looked for work in construction as it was booming like hell. The bubble burst and the economy went belly-up.